The Reality Of PR: Smile, Dial, Name Drop, Pray. — One thing I hated about being a corporate lawyer at Wilson Sonsini back in the day - we got to work on really cool deals (the last deal I worked on before leaving for a startup was the AOL/Netscape merger), but we were only brought in at the very end to paper everything.

IPhone 3GS owners bemoan its battery life — Buyers are finding that the device has trouble making it through a workday without a rest stop at the electrical outlet. — The new, high-octane iPhone 3GS is loaded with features that could light up your life — but its battery isn't one of them.

OpenBitTorrent Tracker Muscles In On The Old Pirate Bay — In his article ‘Playing Whack-A-Mole With Data: The Pirate Bay Lives On’, Jamie King cut through much of the doom and gloom of the last week and took a refreshingly optimistic view of how the sale of The Old Pirate Bay might …

MI6 boss in Facebook entry row — Personal details about the life of the next head of MI6, Sir John Sawers, have been removed from social networking site Facebook amid security concerns. — The Mail on Sunday said his wife had put details about their children and the location of their flat on the site.

America's Secret Innovation Weapon: Immigration — When I was 8 years old, my father explained to me the secret to American prosperity. — Immigrants come to the United States and take menial jobs so that their children have a chance at a better future, he told me.

IT hiring and salaries are down — According to the latest salary survey from Janco Associates, salaries and demand for IT professionals is down. Here are the more interesting results of the survey. — I have some bad news, and I have some bad news. According to Mid Year 2009 Salary Survey …

Symantec: it's dangerous to rely on free antivirus — A top Symantec executive has hit out at free antivirus software, including Microsoft's Microsoft Security Essentials, warning consumers that it won't be enough to keep them safe. — Speaking to BLORGE, David Hall …

Amazon Kindle competitor EReader slashes ebook prices — I've been pretty tough in the past on the high prices at Amazon Kindle competitors eReader.com and Fictionwise.com, the twin pillars of Steve and Scott Pendergrast's ebook empire. The Pendergrasts sold the company to Barnes & Noble …

Survey: The iPhone is No. 1 in Japan — Gauging the iPhone's popularity in Japan is not easy. — Just ask Brian X. Chen. He wrote a piece for Wired.com last April called Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone suggesting that despite the long lines that greeted the iPhone 3G last summer, the device was a big flop in Japan.